Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in South Carolina

Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate

Allendale County had the highest poverty rate of 46 counties in 2019, at 30.2%. York County had the lowest, at 8.6%. The median was 17.4% and the figure for South Carolina was 13.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest30.2Allendale County
Lowest8.6York County
Median17.446 counties
South Carolina13.9History

All counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Allendale CountyAllendale County: 30.2 %30.2Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 28.9 %28.9Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 27.8 %27.8Dillon CountyDillon County: 26.8 %26.8Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 26.3 %26.3Lee CountyLee County: 25.4 %25.4Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 25.1 %25.1Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 24.9 %24.9Marion CountyMarion County: 24.9 %24.9Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 24.2 %24.2Hampton CountyHampton County: 23.2 %23.2Colleton CountyColleton County: 21 %21Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 19.9 %19.9Union CountyUnion County: 19.9 %19.9Darlington CountyDarlington County: 19.6 %19.6Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 19.1 %19.1Laurens CountyLaurens County: 19.1 %19.1Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 18.2 %18.2McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 18.1 %18.1Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 18 %18Sumter CountySumter County: 17.8 %17.8Chester CountyChester County: 17.7 %17.7Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 17.5 %17.5Jasper CountyJasper County: 17.2 %17.2Florence CountyFlorence County: 17 %17Richland CountyRichland County: 16.2 %16.2Saluda CountySaluda County: 16.1 %16.1Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 16 %16Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 15.7 %15.7Pickens CountyPickens County: 15.3 %15.3Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 14.8 %14.8Newberry CountyNewberry County: 14 %14Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 13.8 %13.8Oconee CountyOconee County: 13.1 %13.1Anderson CountyAnderson County: 12.9 %12.9Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 12.9 %12.9Horry CountyHorry County: 12.7 %12.7Aiken CountyAiken County: 12.5 %12.5Lexington CountyLexington County: 11.9 %11.9Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 11.8 %11.8Charleston CountyCharleston County: 11.7 %11.7Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 10.7 %10.7Greenville CountyGreenville County: 10.7 %10.7Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 10.2 %10.2Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 9.3 %9.3York CountyYork County: 8.6 %8.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Allendale County30.2-7.1 pts
2Marlboro County28.9-1.1 pts
3Williamsburg County27.8+1.8 pts
4Dillon County26.8-5.3 pts
5Orangeburg County26.3+0.4 pts
6Lee County25.4-2.7 pts
7Clarendon County25.1-1.3 pts
8Barnwell County24.9+2.5 pts
8Marion County24.9-0.6 pts
10Bamberg County24.2-2.5 pts
11Hampton County23.2-2.6 pts
12Colleton County21+1 pts
13Chesterfield County19.9-1 pts
13Union County19.9-0.5 pts
15Darlington County19.6-3.9 pts
16Fairfield County19.1-4.6 pts
16Laurens County19.1-0.6 pts
18Calhoun County18.2-0.2 pts
19McCormick County18.1-0.5 pts
20Greenwood County18-0.3 pts
21Sumter County17.8-0.9 pts
22Chester County17.7-0.5 pts
23Georgetown County17.5-2.1 pts
24Jasper County17.2-1.8 pts
25Florence County17-1 pts
26Richland County16.2-0.5 pts
27Saluda County16.1+1.2 pts
28Cherokee County16-0.8 pts
29Edgefield County15.7-2.8 pts
30Pickens County15.3-1.3 pts
31Abbeville County14.8-4.3 pts
32Newberry County14-3.1 pts
33Kershaw County13.8-0.7 pts
34Oconee County13.1-1.3 pts
35Anderson County12.9-1.7 pts
35Spartanburg County12.9-0.7 pts
37Horry County12.7-1.6 pts
38Aiken County12.5-2.5 pts
39Lexington County11.9-0.6 pts
40Lancaster County11.8-1.5 pts
41Charleston County11.7-2.5 pts
42Berkeley County10.7-2.1 pts
42Greenville County10.7-0.4 pts
44Beaufort County10.2-0.7 pts
45Dorchester County9.3-1.7 pts
46York County8.6-1.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Allendale County, with 30.2% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

York County, with 8.6% in 2019.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings